Police Chief's Bio

Police Chief

Chief Rausch has been with the Knoxville Police Department since January 1993. He served in the Patrol Division for the majority of his tenure as a police officer in various roles. He has served as the Commanding Officer for the Patrol Division and for each of the Patrol Division Districts, as well as the Staff Officer for the Deputy Chief of Patrol. He has promoted through the ranks from Officer to Sergeant in 1998, Sergeant to Lieutenant in 2002, Lieutenant to Captain in 2006, Captain to Deputy Chief in 2009, and to Chief of Police in 2011.

Chief Rausch served on the Knoxville Police Department Special Operations Squad (SWAT Team) from 1997 to 2007.

Chief Rausch came to Knoxville from Louisville, Kentucky where he graduated in 1986 from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Military Police Corps from 1986 to 1990 and attained the Rank of Sergeant prior to the end of his enlistment.

Chief Rausch is a graduate of the 105th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police and received his Master of Science in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville in 2001. He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations 218th National Academy Class in 2004, the FBI Tennessee Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar in 2008, the Police Executive Research Forum 40th Session of the Senior Management Institute for Police in 2008, the Leadership in Counter Terrorism (LinCT) Course Atlantic Section 2011-2012 of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Police Services of Northern Ireland, Scottish Police College, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Australian Police Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation 36th Session of the National Executive Institute in 2013, the United States Secret Service Executive Protection Seminar in 2014, and the United States Army War College Commandant’s National Security Program in 2016.

Chief Rausch is an instructor in various law enforcement topics. He is an On-line Adjunct Faculty Member of Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee with the College of Professional Studies.

Chief Rausch is involved with numerous organizations in the Knoxville community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, the Family Justice Center Board, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley Corporate Board, the Knoxville Knox County E-911 Board, the UT Institute for Public Service LEIC Board, the Metro Drug Coalition Board, the South College Criminal Justice Community Advisory Board, the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation Board, the Volunteer Ministry Center Board, the Trinity Health Foundation Board, the Change Center of Knoxville Board as Co-chairman, the Chairman’s Club, the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Executive Board, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police as Immediate Past President, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Midsize Agencies as Vice Chair, and on the IACP Board of Directors as an Ex-Officio Member.